Shah Rukh Khan eyes return to romance after King, love story likely next: Reports

Shah Rukh Khan built his entire legacy on romance. From Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge to Kal Ho Na Ho, he owned the genre for decades. Then came the action era Pathaan, Jawan, Dunki and now, if industry sources are to be believed, the pendulum may be swinging back.With his current film King, directed by Siddharth Anand, wrapping up shoot and heading for a December 24, 2026 release, Shah Rukh is already thinking about what comes next. And the frontrunner, it seems, is a good old-fashioned love story.A Love Story — But a Different OnePinkvilla reported that Shah Rukh has been offered a big-budget romantic drama. He has gone through the script and is said to be keen on it. People close to the project say the film will not try to recreate his old romantic hero image. It will be something more grounded, a story that suits his age and where he is in life right now.The aim, sources say, is to remind people why Shah Rukh and romance just work together, without making it feel like a throwback.Main Hoon Na 2 Is Also Being DiscussedThere is another project floating around too. Shah Rukh is apparently in early conversations with director Farah Khan for a film that is being loosely referred to as Main Hoon Na 2. It would be a fun, massy entertainer with a double role for him.The script is still being written so nothing is confirmed on that front. But Shah Rukh is said to be interested in this one as well.He Will Decide by JuneWith two interesting options on the table, Shah Rukh is taking his time. He is meeting filmmakers, reading scripts and keeping his options open. A decision is expected sometime around June 2026. A prominent director is said to be in consideration for the romance film but no names are out yet.The Injury Played a Role TooLast August Shah Rukh injured his arm on the sets of King and needed surgery. He was recovering for close to two months. Doing another physically demanding action film right after all of this makes little sense. A romance is a much easier shoot on the body and that is not a small factor when you are making these decisions.When Will He Actually Start Shooting?King releases December 24. Shah Rukh will only move on to his next project after the film is out and settled. That means shooting on whatever he picks will most likely begin in early 2027, January or February at the earliest.It is a long wait but Shah Rukh returning to romance, done properly and with the right story, is the kind of thing his fans have been asking for for a while now.